Knives in the Back
by A.O.T.I.F
Summary: What will Lucius give his son on his birthday? DISCONTINUED
1. Rain

Disclaimer: (turns out pockets) I would have a lot more money if I owned Harry Potter. (lint falls to the ground) See?

Disclaim her: Squishy marshmallow fruit chews.

Note: Lots of out-of-character goodness going on.

Out of character currently with: Draco

Minor note: Narcissa's dead. Sorry to all the people out there who like her as a character.

"speech" 'thoughts'

This is a reposted first chapter. The previous first chapter didn't even qualify on a scale it was so badly written.

Chapter 1: Rain

111111111111111111

As Draco leaned against the window in his train car he could see that it was beginning to sprinkle a little outside. The glass of the windowpane was cold but it didn't faze him a great deal. Not much did anymore.

After his mother had died there hadn't been really any heart left in him to do anything productive. Not that there had been much to begin with after all. He hadn't cried when mother had died. He had merely stood composed and emotionless just like a Malfoy should when they had begun to shovel dirt onto her coffin. Just like…his father wanted him to.

His father hadn't shed one tear either, but then again, it wasn't like Lucius to show his feelings in public or even in the privacy of his own home. He was eternally calm and detached. He had heard that when Lucius had been "informed" that his wife had "died" that he had had just stood up and asked the person who had told him of the news of what color the coffin should be. Nothing else but that. Like he didn't even care.

Draco was through with Hogwarts now; he wouldn't ever have to see that blasted institution again. He had formally graduated earlier that morning when he had been handed his diploma that certified that he had finished school.

The Headmaster had looked so pleased to be handing him that certificate, so _happy_ with that bloody twinkle in his eye it had given Draco the momentary urge to hit him with all his might. He hadn't wanted to be there. His father wasn't there to see the documentation of him formally getting the acceptance that he was done with that awful establishment and it made Draco for some reason to go and cry his eyes out somewhere, anywhere away for where he had been at the time. The excuse that his father had given had been that he had been working and that he would be unable to make it. That made the whole scenario even worse because it truly showed just how much his father cared about him.

Draco saw his breath had fogged the glass of the window and wiped it away absently so he could see a little better. The landscape outside was dreary, as it had begun to actually rain and not so much sprinkle anymore. The blond sighed to himself as he laid back into his seat and relaxed to some meager extent. In truth, he didn't feel like going home. Now that he was done with school, what would he do to try to please his father, as there wasn't anything left to do except to go and get a job at the Ministry and get recruited by the Dark Lord? He would most likely end up disappointing his father yet again as he was never a "proper Malfoy."

Draco closed his eyes and tried to not start crying. Why were his emotions on such edges when he thought of his father…?

111111111111111111

A.O.T.I.F.: This revision is a bit better but I still can't write crap. I know I could have written more but I didn't want to change the original format much. Anyone have any chocolates?


	2. Meeting

Disclaimer: Hm…nope don't own anything except my pens. Great.

Disclaim her: (giggles)…bubbles…(laughs hysterically)

Note: Yeah, so people are out-of-character. So what? It's _my_ story. I'll do what I want with it.

People currently out of character: Draco, Lucius, Voldemort, and Harry.

Minor note: This is the last time I'm giving warning that Narcissa is no longer alive. Get over it.

"speech" 'thoughts'

Chapter 2: Meeting

111111111111111111

The train station was alive with noise and it was hard to be heard through the ruckus. So it was probably a small miracle that Lucius heard his name called over the underlying racket.

"Lucius!" The blond turned at the sound of his name and looked for the person who had called. His gaze fell upon a young teen with unruly black hair and startling emerald eyes that gave the impression that they were glowing. His features softened momentarily and he broke into a half smile.

"Hello, Harry."

"You seem more relaxed than usual, Lucius. Did you go and play with some woman?" Harry said absently, brushing back hair that snapped back into the place it had been before once he let it go.

"No, I did not. Today is just better than most days. I have heard that you have graduated. Would that be with high honors as well?" Lucius almost sneered.

"Yes, and _I_ have heard that you left your son alone on the most important day of his life. How did that go?" Harry said quite maliciously and revealed an excessive amount of teeth in his smile a second later.

"I haven't spoken to him yet and the only reason I did not attend was because I had work to finish." Lucius glanced away.

"Don't lie. Please don't look me straight in the eye and tell me you had work to do when you were at the manor. And don't lie to him about what you were doing. You mustn't isolate yourself from him. He is the only one left that truly cares for you for who you are. You know that."

"I know you know much Harry, but if you continue to speak to me in that manner I will be forced to hurt you. I am not a child, and will not be spoken to as if I happened to be one. You are young and you need to respect your elders to a point.

There was a silence where Harry idly picked at one of his fingernails until Lucius spoke once again. "Where is He? Hasn't He arrived yet?"

"He has, and He is coming towards us I speak."

"Right you are, Mr. Potter." Slender, well-toned arms slid around Harry's waist and he smiled peacefully.

"As are you, Tom."

"My Lord."

"Lucius, is it true you abandoned your son on his graduation day?"

"I did no such thing!"

"Don't raise your voice, it attracts attention."

"But I thought we wanted people to notice-" Harry began.

"We do, but not so they suspect Lucius or Draco."

"Sorry."

"There is no need to apologize Harry." The man said softly to the boy.

"My Lord, will you be requiring my services later?"

"No…not yet anyways…where is your son?"

"Hm? Oh, he should be here right by now. I wonder what is taking him so long…" Lucius said glancing in the direction of the train.

"Is that him? He looks…different somehow."

"I agree. Lucius, what did you do to him?"

"What? I did not touch him my Lord!"

"As you say…well, we must be off, there is so much to do in so little time. Give my regards to your son." The man slipped his hand into Harry's and as they left sight of the train station, they Disapparated with a sharp crack.

Lucius shook his head wearily and caught sight of his son muttering to himself as he walked toward his father.

"Draco, please to not dawdle, you are wasting my time." Lucius said when his son was close enough to hear him. Draco hurriedly looked up and rushed over to where his father was standing.

"I am sorry father."

"I do not wish to hear any of your excuses, they have lost their worth."

"Yes, sir."

"What is wrong with you? You seem deluded."

"Nothing, father. Nothing at all."

"So you tell me."

"I am not lying!" Draco said, eyes widening as he realized what Lucius was implying.

"To me?"

"Yes." The younger Malfoy lowered his eyes. "To you."

"Do not disrespect me. Stand up straight and tall, like a Malfoy should."

"Yes father."

Lucius narrowed his eyes and lifted the younger's chin with a forefinger. Draco met his gaze and Lucius saw that his eyes were pained, but also rather empty, and it almost disturbed the blond at the change in his son. Draco continued to look at his father until Lucius turned, brushing white-blond hair over his shoulder.

"Come Draco. We're leaving."

111111111111111111

A.O.T.I.F.: And yet another reposted chapter because the one that was in this one's place sucked. Thank you for reading and kindly please review. My self confidence has reached a new all time low.


	3. Falling Down

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my pens AND my screwed up head.

Disclaim her: I got ditched. No, saying that would be rude. I will put it in better terms. I was deserted. (sniff)

Note: I have decided I don't need a Beta until I establish myself more firmly and have more of my writing on here, for people to decide if I'm a suitable writer.

Author who offered, thank you, I will consider it.

Draco's acting OOC (obviously), along with Lucius, Harry and others.

"speech" 'thoughts' /Draco's thoughts/

Thanks to all reviewers! (I actually believed that no one would want to read this thing)

Misura: Thank you, I didn't think you would want to write anything. Do you like plushies?

Redfern You write excellently. At least I asked, even if you can't be my Beta…Your story just keeps getting better and better. I'm on your favorite authors? That's _so_ nice!

Gadguard: One thing, (besides the fact that I think I spelled your name wrong, sorry, I can't check right now) I know who you are, _moogle_. If this _isn't_ who I think it is, I apologize.

And to all my other reviewers: thank you for having the kindness to read over my story and tell me what you think along with those above. I appreciate it, really.

A/N: I took that other piece of junk story down, if anyone noticed.

Chapter 3: All forms of pain aren't so new.

111111111111111111

When Lucius and Draco arrived at the manor the rain had started to come down even harder, which was quite unusual, for it was about the beginning of summer. When they had set down their coats, both nearly soaked, Draco suddenly sneezed very loudly.

Eyes widening, he looked at his father, who usually would reprimand him on his lack of manners, he found the older Malfoy rummaging through his robes apparently unconcerned. As he was just about to walk out of the hall to go change and take a bath Lucius finally realized he was leaving.

"Draco," he began.

"Sorry father, excuse me," The younger Malfoy replied quickly.

"Excuse you for what? I was just about to tell you that after you have finished changing, I would like to see you in my study if you please." He was still searching for something distractedly and now turned to his coat to start looking through it.

Draco watched Malfoy senior continue to search for a couple of minutes, wondering why he was standing there like an idiot watching his father like he was, till Lucius threw down his coat and abruptly cursed, frustrated. He almost stalked off up the stairs until he suddenly remembered Draco standing in the doorway of the hall. "What are you still doing here, I don't want you ill, go upstairs immediately and remove those wet clothes before I drag you up there myself Draco." Lucius waited until the boy came out of his stupor and started to slowly make his way up the stairs, much to his father's dismay.

"Honestly." Lucius went down and grabbed his son by the forearm and yanked him up the stairs with the boy protesting most of the way until he was silenced with a sharp look. When they reached the top of the staircase Lucius let go. "Now, I want you in my study in twenty minutes, no later, are we understood?" A nod. "Good, now go." Draco walked off toward the direction of his chambers rubbing the arm that probably develop a bruise later on in the day.

About ten minutes later after Draco had removed himself from his rooms and had begun to make his way towards his father's chambers; the floor lurched precariously beneath him. He stopped, leaning into the wall as the surroundings almost slid out of focus for a moment. His father had been right once again. He had gotten ill for being wet and for staying in wet clothes for so long. Great. Damn him over and over again! He couldn't say anything; he wouldn't give the older Malfoy the satisfaction he wanted. He had to deal with it till it passed.

When the background decided to grace itself into becoming clear, he started off again and made it to his father's office about twenty minutes later, having stopped nearly three times when he came close to collapsing. The double doors of the office were closed and Draco couldn't imagine what would happen now. His father had said twenty; thirty had gone by.

He knocked softly on the door. There was a faint "come in" and Draco stepped inside the room, careful to keep his eyes on the ground, mainly because it was the only thing he was able to concentrate on right this second, although it looked like he was ashamed of himself from Lucius' view.

"Sit." The voice was dangerously soft.

"Yes sir." His eyes glanced up and everything swirled in a mass of colors around him but he managed to find the chair that was placed in the front of his father's desk. Sitting down, he once again averted his eyes elsewhere, someplace he could look at without becoming dizzy. It was somewhere past what he supposed was his father's left shoulder because above it was a blurry mass of white and a darker white that apparently was Lucius' face and hair.

"Draco," A slight pause.

"Yes?" He replied meekly.

"Did I not ask you to come to me twenty minutes ago?" Draco couldn't even distinguish the older Malfoy's face.

"You did father." The world spun around and around.

"Why were you not here when I asked you to be?" Lucius had gotten up and sat on the edge of the front of his desk. "I'd like answer, I don't have all day."

"I, I lost track of time. I'm really sorry, father, I mean it. You know I wouldn't disrespect you." His voice trembled.

"Do I now? There were other times when you happened to show me impudence-" 'That you all punished me for,' Draco added silently. "-That I felt I did not give you sufficient enough punishment for in the end."

'Sufficient enough! What is he talking about! One time I had welts on my back that lasted for an entire month!'

"So I have decided to make up for that right now." Lucius' voice remained casual, almost as if he had been commenting on the weather.

"WHAT!" A distant part of him wondered how the conversation had gotten to this, just a distant part.

"Don't take that kind of tone with me Draco. It's…_disrespectful_." The voice went dangerously soft as Lucius gripped his son's chin with a hand. "Look at me." Draco couldn't focus, but tried the best he could as his mind started to think things that it really shouldn't have been thinking at this point or at any other time.

"Now then," Lucius smiled something Draco couldn't see but knew he was doing. "I believe it's time to move along. Put your hands on the desk and lean into it." Vision clearing briefly he did what he was told without question, he didn't want to be punished more than he already was going to at this point.

Behind him, Draco heard a crack, and for a split second wondered what it was till he felt the sharp pain on his back. Again a remote thought, where had his shirt gone…?

"Draco, I would like you to count for me so I don't forget along the way what number we're on. All right?" he said this almost in a kind way except what was happening really wasn't kind and had absolutely nothing to do with compassion.

"Okay." The voice wavered but inwardly Draco giggled; father thought this was going to hurt him but this would be fun. So...much…fun! "One." He stifled the urge to break out in laughter.

CRACK! "Two." CRACK! "Three." It didn't hurt anymore; inwardly Draco had tuned out and heard a voice, his voice singing inside his head. '…Father and son went up the stairs so they could kill the mother. The son fell down with bam, to face the wrath of his father's hand. Father just laughed and said, now look, you missed the slaughtering of mother …' Draco's attention returned momentarily while he continued to count. "Sixteen." CRACK!

Again thoughts wandered. 'You're worthless. You can't do anything yourself. Your father always has to do everything for you. He doesn't care about you or anything that has any relation to you. He wouldn't care if you died on the spot.' /No, that's not true! He cares! I'm not worthless/ 'Why does he hate you then? Hating you for being born, for living. Hating you for being such a failure to him just like your mother.' That malicious voice asked. 'Why is he hurting you right now? Oh, I see, it is because refuse needs to be dealt with, does it not?' /He does not hate me! And I am not garbage/ 'That's what we all like to think, don't we? You would rather hear lies than hear the truth, because in reality, the truth just tears you apart inside, does it not. Knowing you're nothing to your father who wishes you were dead, or better yet, never been born...' /Shut up/ Draco screamed inside, as all those thoughts and feelings that he had locked away resurfaced. 'And the one thing you won't admit-' /No, don't say it/ '-Is that,' /Stop, I can't hear you/ '-Your father-' /STOP/ '-Has _never_ lovedyou and _never _will.'

Everything froze. Draco was unaware that his father had stopped whipping him nearly ten minutes ago and was watching him stand there while he was having this fight with himself. He went down onto the ground and instinctively slid forward so he was leaning into the desk. Draco had started to feel a dull throbbing pain in his back but it was pushed back, away, so he could try to clear his head but without any success. Blood had soaked his trousers as it continued to run down his back but that did not have an effect on him; he was still leaning against the desk and staring blankly ahead. Lucius bent down to gaze at his son and found it impossible to make eye contact as Draco was staring directly past him.

"Draco."

He blinked but could not find the strength to look at his father, why oh why did this have to be so hard? A soft murmur from Lucius caused the wounds on his back to heal up. He didn't care, yet…?

"Please look at me, Draco."

A whisper so quiet Lucius almost did not hear it. "…Why?" Tears pricked at the corners of the younger boy's eyes. No, I will not cry! 'Why not Draco? Just prove to your father that you're everything he thinks you are.' That nasty voice in his head told him. …When you cry they know that you're weak, Draco said to himself just as he had told himself so many times before. A few tears fell even though he had tried his hardest to contain them. How the office swirled in a lovely collection of colors.

"Just for the simple reason that I want you to."

"…Are you going to hurt me again? Please don't, I …" His voice cracked.

"No, I do not believe I will. I had lost my temper over something else and took it out on you, which I really shouldn't have done…" A hand went over Draco's back almost in a caressing motion, but the younger Malfoy was sure he was just imagining things. Lucius pulled him against his chest, and Draco unconsciously rested his head in the curve of his father's neck and the hand went further up, stroking the pale blond locks of hair that now reached somewhat past his shoulders, and Draco caught himself falling asleep with his father's touch.

"Father…what are you…?"He asked confusedly.

"Hm? Oh, you're falling asleep. What time is it…nearly four? Now why would you be so tired?" Lucius asked in a voice that sounded concerned but Draco chalked it up to his imagination running off without him.

"Just…a bit overexerted, I think sir." He replied softly.

"So you say." Lucius raised a hand to feel Draco's forehead.

"…Father, I'm…" whispered Draco.

"Draco, you're burning up! I told you- Draco?" He glanced down.

"….sorry…for everything…"Grey eyes slid shut.

The world twists out of control and the boy slips over the edge to fall and fall and fall deep down into the abyss…

111111111111111111

A.O.T.I.F.: The thoughts part is confusing. Draco's arguing with himself, that's why there are two sets of defined thoughts: Draco's and the other part of his mind.

Blank: That last part, figure of speech.


	4. Always in Circles

Disclaimer: How could I own anything; everyone steals everything I actually do own anyway.

Disclaim them: Better watch out for those "loose screws."

Note: Draco, Lucius, and Harry are acting OOC

"speech" 'thoughts' /Draco's thoughts/

Also, thanks to all current reviewers, it makes the day a bit more pleasant for myself knowing people care and whatnot.

I'm REALLY sorry I wasn't able to update. My computer crashed…what a mess.

Chapter 4: Always in circles

He could hear a voice, but not very loudly. Almost as if he was underwater… It was oddly familiar but still, he couldn't exactly place it. It called for Draco to come back and to desert the approaching darkness that nearly threatened to suffocate him.

Draco opened his eyes to bright light filtering through the windows of the room and he shied away from it, sinking deeper into the bed's blankets. But just as soon as he did that, there came the eerie sensation that he was being watched. The blonde sat up quickly and saw the last person he wanted to see in the entire world.

There was a smile. "Hello, Draco. Would you mind if I were to ask what happened to you?"

Draco grimaced as he lay against the pillows, unusually tensed. "Yes, I mind.

You, of all people, come to see me when I happen to be conveniently indisposed? Why does the world hate me so much that it makes me suffer so?"

"That is no way to greet a friend, Draco. I'm almost offended by your hostile behavior." The boy brushed away an imaginary tear from his eye.

"Potter, we are not friends and we never were. I'd appreciate if you left my room; you're already giving me a headache." Draco turned over on his side, facing away from The-Boy-Who-Lived.

"Sorry, well not really, but I can't do that." Harry moved towards the windows and looked down at the grounds.

"I won't even ask why, considering the fact that I almost never get a straight answer from you now a days when I do have the rare chance to talk to you." The blonde shifted his position in the bed so he faced Harry once again. "However, may I ask how you got into my house? What did you do, scale the wall, because I wouldn't put it past you."

"Well, no. Although that probably would have been fairly…interesting, I came in through the front door like a civilized person. As a matter of fact, your father happened to invite us in. Is that really so bad?" There was a pause where Draco happened to mutter something very rude and indecent. "See, you know it isn't. You said you wanted to know why I was here. Well, Tom needed to talk to your father about something regarding a new mission of some sort. I think it was about supposedly breaking into my house and making it appear that we have a spy causing a disruption in the fragile peace the Light has created for itself. I, of course, will be Stunned after fighting dramatically outnumbered forces and have no recollection of the whole event." Harry smiled to himself.

"That's nice and all, but I wish _I_ could join you on wreaking havoc on Dumbledore's pathetic excuse for an army. But father won't let me do that though. He thinks I'll just screw everything up."

"He said that to you?"

"Not exactly, but I know he was thinking it."

"But thinking isn't the same thing as actually saying something."

"I…guess it isn't. But he always tells me that I am incompetent and worthless, like I have no value or anything."

"All parents care for their children in some way shape or from."

"Who are you to be giving advice on parents, yours are dead." Draco paused. "No offense meant."

"None taken. You are right about me criticizing you though. I never had anyone to care about me until just recently so what could I know about how parents show their affection?" The raven-haired boy sighed to himself and came back by the bed ending up sitting on the edge of it. Draco said nothing towards this act.

"But you are wrong about one thing. Your father told me-"

"Harry, where are you, we are leaving now." A voice called down the hallway reaching into the room.

"Well, bye. I think I might see you soon." Harry smiled a small, genuine smile.

"Wait, what did my father tell you? Tell me!" Draco threw the bedcovers off his legs.

"I'm sorry, I have to go. I'll tell you when I next see you, but you might already know by then.

"Wait, please tell me!" But Harry was already gone out the door, his robes flying away from him in his wake.

A little later, after the blond had woken up from another brief rest he had taken and was halfway between a waking consciousness and slumber, he heard the door open and a minute later felt the mattress move to accustom someone's weight.

"I thought you had left. You had better not be poking around my house and going through my family's things."

"You speak that way to your father, Draco?"

"…Father?" The boy shifted on the bed and found Lucius sitting close enough for Draco to reach out and touch. Lucius smirked at his son's almost stupefied expression and reached forward and grasped a fistful of the boy's white blond hair and yanked hard, causing a soft cry.

"Now, now, let's not act like a child, Draco. You're all grown up. But then again, you'll always be daddy's little boy, won't you?'"

The pulling of Draco's hair had caused him to be facing downwards on the bedspread and in his opinion, a very vulnerable position to be in with his father.

"You know," Lucius started speaking again after a few moments of staring at the back of the younger Malfoy's head. "I think that you thought that I wouldn't find out about the things you were doing and what was happening. I almost believed that it was because of…_her_ death that you started…those things. But then I realize that there was no cause for that kind of behavior since you didn't care about…_her_."

Draco managed to turn his head a little despite the grip Lucius continued to exert on him. "Just say it, _Narcissa_, that I didn't care about _Narcissa_, but not _mother_, since you didn't really believe her to actually be a proper mother, her being a whore in all-"

"-And bringing all those other men into my house whom I should have then killed the moment they entered the premises, and also beat her soundly as well, now that I start to think of it…We're veering off topic though. The reason I came here in the first place was because I would like to know why someone has resorted to inducing self harm upon one's self."

"Where'd you hear that? I don't do that kind of things father. I don't want to disappoint you in any way, you know that." Draco attempted to look innocent but just knew deep down that his father knew. He goddamn knew. /Got to think fast, have to come up with an excuse, how'd he find out, oh he's going to punish me again.../

"Draco, I found the razors in your bathroom drawers and an assortment of hidden knives scattered throughout this room after you left from winter break."

The silence that followed that sentence seemed to stretch on for an endless eternity.

"I…" Draco whispered softly.

"Yes?" Lucius raised an eyebrow expectantly.

And then he couldn't take it anymore. The fragile world he had built for himself was crumbling at the seams right before his eyes. His father probed at him, way too far in for him to dispel giving Lucius the opportunity to wear him down with a patience that always appeared to have no breaking point. Just tell him, get it over with. Let him beat him; he didn't want to care anymore. Never did, so why had he tried so hard to please? "I don't know why I did it! You always want an answer and this time I don't know why! Whether or not it was from _her_, I wouldn't know. Maybe it's just because I didn't want to hear your lectures about how I would never amount to anything and how I was a disgrace to the Malfoy family na-"

The slap ricocheted off the room's walls making an odd sort of ringing sound that hurt Draco's ears while the boy himself keeled over with the force of the blow.

" Shut _up_." These two words were uttered with a quiet, mad, violence that made the younger forget the numbing sensation in his cheek momentarily.

Lucius walked over to Draco and yanked him to his feet. "You forget your place, boy."

An obscure giggle escaped Draco's mouth after that statement and as a result, Lucius raised his hand and struck him, causing him to fall down again. "You find this funny, do you?"

Draco had to struggle to get the words out as his throat was choked with unresolved laughter. " No _sir_, it's just that when you say I forget my "place", what "place" would that be? I didn't know I had one in this, what do you call it… family. That's it, family. It was always just you, and I also think _mother_, but that's being too generous. That is, unless you are counting house elves, that which I highly doubt." Lucius' fist connected with Draco's stomach and it was a few minutes before he could breathe properly again.

"I love you, did you know that? You probably didn't… I only try to do my best for you. It's only been for you because you were the only one whom there's been to please and whom never thought I was good enough in any way. So I tried harder. Just for you and only you. " Draco gave a sort of half sob, half laugh as Lucius struck, and then released him causing Draco to tumble to the floor in a pitiful heap.

Draco staggered to his feet and ungracefully attached himself to Lucius' robes and maneuvered himself so his mouth was close to his father's ear. The older wizard had appeared to freeze in place. "Why don't you put an end to both our sufferings and just kill me now, like you did mother?" The boy had started to act hysterical. Too much pressure had been exerted on his emotions that had already been on the brink of collapsing sooner or later. Better sooner than later.

Draco drew himself away from his father when he heard that sharp intake of breath. "Yes, that's right. I know. You always think I'm dimwitted and have no idea of what's going on, but I'm not that much of an idiot to not pay attention to my surroundings."

The boy backed farther away from a father who had a face that could have been chipped from ice and inched closer to the door. "I saw you kill her." He turned his body towards Lucius as he pulled a paper-thin dagger from the folds of his robes that he had concealed the day before.

Lucius' lips thinned into a narrow line. "It was necessary."

"Necessary." The word was spoken with an unhidden sarcasm and the knife played between fingers, weaving in and out through them with an experienced manner.

"She betrayed me." Lucius watched warily as Draco appeared to examine the edge of the blade, and then purposefully slit a shallow wound on his palm without saying anything. The boy smiled maniacally as the blood began to drip off his palm and onto the oak floor, staining it rich red.

"……" The adrenaline rush had suddenly cooled down and Draco had tired again. The knife slid to his side.

"What's happening to you? Are you on wizard's drugs again? You remember what happened the last time you took them and what I did, don't you?" The brash tone made the once simple statement become threatening.

The boy cringed inwardly. "No, I'm not on drugs…I'm just tired."

"It appears you've been tired a lot lately…for that reason, I think I'll punish you later. I'd rather you be awake for my punishment." The wizard smiled a predatory smile.

Lucius was in front of him; pulling the knife out of his hand, and began gently guiding him out of the room and down the hall, and Draco had absolutely no idea how that came to be.

The older Malfoy pulled the doors of his room open as he reached them and tugged Draco inside. He then locked them shut.

He led the boy to his bed. "Lie down, I'm coming back." Draco lay down as requested and his father left the room for a few minutes and then returned. He pulled up the covers of the bed and slid Draco under them.

The boy was frightened and tensed to a painful level, feeling that all this had been another trick of his mind. "Father…."

"Shhh…it's all right."

"But why…? This is wrong. You don't like me. Why are you doing this? I don't-"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. Just go to sleep." He curled up against Draco's back and wrapped his arms around him. The younger Malfoy shivered involuntarily and for some odd instinctive reason, ended up molding himself to his father's figure. He eventually fell asleep.

Lucius lay there for hours, staring at the back of his son's head and listening to the soft sound of his breathing, unable to calm his restless mind and sleep like his son.

Blank: This chapter makes absolutely no sense. Let me know what _you_ think since my opinion doesn't count, not ever. Oh, and the out of character deal with Lucius will be explained in next chapter, for those who were wondering why Lucius didn't give Draco a solid thrashing for that absolutely outrageous behavior. He deserved it, didn't he?


	5. Affection Starved

Disclaimer: I _wish_ I owned Harry Potter.

Disclaim her: Evil plasti glass pirates on their plasti glass island made of cookies.

Note: Obviously you're a little slow on the uptake if you can't know that a lot of out-of- character mayhem is going on.

Out of character with: Lucius, Draco, and Harry.

"speech" 'thoughts' /Draco's thoughts/

I really appreciate the reviews.

But why won't people read 'Losing Touch'? The first two chapters are the only ones like that right now. I won't write anymore like that for a while. You people are mean.

Chapter 5: Affection starved

11111111111111111

When Draco finally woke up some five hours later, his father was nowhere to be seen. At first, he thought he had been hallucinating, but he wasn't in his room. This was someone else's. It was…his father's. Draco didn't know whether to be glad or to start panicking. The thought of sleeping right beside his father gave way to new worries that he didn't like having. What had his father done while he had slept?

As he glanced toward the door, he saw that it had been unlocked and was partially open. Cursing himself for his weaknesses yet again, he got up from the bed and ventured off in the direction of the opposite wing of the manor to where his quarters were located.

On one of the walls that displayed pictures of his ancestors, there was a wizard's clock that never ran out of power, regardless of how many years happened to pass. It was three in the morning.

As he continued to go on, muttering half curses at his inability to walk properly, his mind still spun around what had happened with his father. Lucius should have done something more than whipped him. It wasn't like him to leave punishment at something as trivial as what he had done in his office. There was other…occurrences, which left him unable to function properly for weeks at an end. It wasn't right. Nothing was right anymore.

When he finally did reach his room, the immediate thing he did was turn on the hot water for a shower. He felt filthy from a manner of things that made him want to retch. Again his mind wandered to all the things that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.

His father had always frightened him and now that fear had increased even more after Narcissa had passed away. Lucius seemed much more sadistic now than he had ever had before. The really odd lapses in demeanor he had caused even more confusion in the blond. There were some points that made him think that Lucius had cracked under the stress, but the next day, or a few minutes later, he was back to his normal cold self, shutting out Draco and the world.

The water burned his pale skin and made it turn a flushed pink after Draco happened to examine himself about twenty minutes later when he removed himself from the shower. Oddly enough, feeling the burn gave him reason to believe himself to be a little more real and a little less transparent.

He had just finished redressing and was preparing to go back to bed in his own bedroom when he thought he heard a noise outside of the bathroom. Draco walked out into the room, his feet padding softly on the carpet and found there wasn't anything or anyone there. He was just about to leave the room and head to the kitchens to go and get something to eat when he heard that deathly calm voice that always made him feel like he meant absolutely nothing.

"Are you quite finished now, Draco?"

Draco turned around and saw his father looking at him from his bed where only moments before it had been empty. Lucius tilted his head to the side and looked at him unusually as Draco give him the impression of being frightened.

"…Sorry father, I did not know that you were there. I thought you had been asleep."

"Did you now?" Lucius laughed quietly to himself and Draco had a feeling that his father was in another one of the out of the ordinary moods that he had been having lately. "Come here Draco."

"Yes father." Any resistance that Draco might have withheld earlier was quashed as if it had by no means been there to begin with. He was again the meek, obedient child that his father ceaselessly wanted.

He came up to the older blond and the older Malfoy patted the place next to him as an indication that the younger was to sit there. The younger of the two sat down and there were a few moments of silence until Lucius spoke.

"Explain to me what happened earlier, Draco." The older Malfoy didn't even glance in his direction as Draco started in surprise.

"What happened earlier?"

"Yes, and don't you dare lie to me."

Draco trembled as he tried to find the right words that wouldn't get him in trouble and found that there wasn't any explanation towards his behavior.

"I-I…I didn't like the way you treat me like nothing so much and it hurt me. I didn't mean to bother you or anything. I'm sorry. I swear I'm sorry. You always tell me that I don't do as well as I could have and that I'm a disgrace to the family name. I didn't mean to say anything father, I don't know why I said anything in the first place. I know that I disappoint you so much and I try so hard to be the best just for you, _only_ for you I've told you all this before I think and I know you don't care about all these excuses that I'm telling you and that you wish I hadn't been born and-"

"…Stop it." Lucius' face was shadowed over so Draco was unable to see the features but from the tone of voice that his father had, he guessed that he was angry with him again.

"I'm sorry," Draco began hurriedly. "I shouldn't have said those things just now, just how I shouldn't have said the other things that I did before. I swear to you, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. Forgive me, father!" Draco slid off the bed and went down onto his knees and looked up at Lucius who had gained what appeared to be a startled expression on his face at how his son incessantly threw his pride out the window for him.

"On your feet Draco." Draco glanced up at his father who didn't make one move towards him. This had better not be another sick game of his father's. It hurt too much now days for him to try these things on him.

Draco rose to his feet and Lucius finally got up from the place he had been sitting on on his son's bed. He took a step forwards and Draco automatically took a step backwards.

"I'm not going to hurt you Draco." Lucius said as he started to make his way to Draco who backed away again. There was no way he was going to trust his father after what he had told him hours earlier. How could he know what Lucius had done while he had been asleep? The only reason he had consented at that time was because there hadn't been any kind of escape from his father. This time there was a door that he could leave through. And once he left, he wouldn't ever be coming back.

"…D-don't…"

"Stop moving away, I said I wasn't going to hurt you."

"B-but-" Draco was shaking all over.

"Just stay here."

"I don't-" He moved backwards up again and this time wall connected with his posterior. Lucius was now directly in front of him, his gray eyes not filled with contempt but with something that seemed like sadness.

"What are you going to do with me?"

"Nothing, nothing at all." Lucius took hold of his arm and pulled him into an embrace that startled him more than anything before. The older Malfoy slid his arms around the younger's waist and rested his chin on top of Draco's head while the younger Malfoy still trembled in fear of what to come.

"I told you that I wasn't going to harm you, why don't you believe me?"

Draco didn't say one word. His mind was still frozen. His father hadn't ever hugged him in his entire life. What kind of new manipulative tactic was this?

"Draco?" Lucius murmured quietly after the boy continued to stand stock-still in his arms.

"…Yes?" It took so much effort to make out the words without bursting into tears.

"Why do you love me?"

"…Because…because you're…my father." Draco said somewhat confusedly at the fact of why his father was asking this now. Was he going to try to use this against him later somehow?

"After all of the things I've done to you over the years you love me?"

"Yes." Draco closed his eyes halfway and inadvertently relaxed as his father carded a hand through his hair. Why was it that now every time that his father stroked his hair it felt so…pleasing?

"And that is because…?"

"I…don't know. Even though you hurt me…I know you did it so you could try to make me the best I could be. But I'm constantly disappointing you time and time again with not being the perfect son you've always wanted."

"You haven't disappointed me, my son."

"What are you-?" Draco had broken off in mid-sentence as Lucius had bent down and pressed their lips together. Draco's eyes widened when his father met his lips. This was wrong…wasn't it?

Even though in a corner of his mind Draco knew that what they were doing was terribly immoral and that father and son should never behave this way, he found himself responding to Lucius when his father's tongue touched his slightly parted lips. Draco moaned against his fathers' mouth as Lucius deepened the kiss. The two broke for air after a few moments.

Draco leaned against his father and wrapped his smaller limbs around the older Malfoy's waist. Lucius enfolded Draco in his arms once again and slit his eyes with a miserable smile on his face.

"I love you father." Draco mumbled, looking down as he was kissed on the forehead gently. His body felt like it was going to burn from the cold fire.

Lucius chuckled placidly and carded his slender fingers through his son's hair once more. "I know you do."

"But why did you…?" He gave a fleeting look up to his father who was staring down at him and hastily looked downward in his embarrassment. "What you did was wrong."

"How is it wrong?"

"We're…family?" Draco had a hard time breaking out any words as his insecurities began to rise up from where they had been submerged.

"That's really not telling me anything Draco."

"It's wrong for us to do these things, illegal even. I know I should have pulled away when you first kissed me but I wanted so much to believe that you loved me and that you actually cared that I didn't stop you. I hate it when you do these things and how you make me feel afterwards!" Draco eyes brimmed with tears that threatened to spill.

Lucius remained silent as his son yanked away from the protection that his arms provided and edged away from him. Draco was shaking for a second time as he tried to compose himself. This was the main reason that his father didn't give a damn about him in the first place! He was always too _emotional_, not composed like a Malfoy _should_ be.

Draco raised his eyes from the ground that he had been glaring at through his tears, trying to look anywhere but at his father, but was inexplicably drawn to him as moth to flame. Draco met his father's impassive gaze with his own tear filled one.

"What do you want me to do!" Draco screamed.

"I didn't say you had to do anything. You were the one who said all those things, not me. And you still haven't given me an adequate reason of why what we did was wrong."

"This is insane!" Tears spilled from Draco's eyes, dampening his cheeks as they slid down.

"Nothing is wrong until the mind concludes it to be so." There was a moment where something seemed to pass over Lucius' face but then it was gone and he was the same cold individual as before. "You told me that you try your hardest to please me."

"I-I do-"Draco eyes widened as he brought his hands to cover his mouth and sank painfully to his knees. The tears continued to pour down his cheeks as he began to sob, the crying racking an already fragile body. "W-why do you keep doing this to me; twisting my words when you know what I'm trying to tell you?"

"I haven't done one thing. It is you who has caused all this misery to befall on yourself. I have had absolutely no type of role in this."

"…Father…" Draco looked up at Lucius who arched an eyebrow at his son. The next words that Draco spoke wavered. "There isn't any reason why what we did was wrong."

"You realize that now."

"Don't ever leave father." The younger Malfoy eyes pleaded with the older to not reject him.

"I'll always be here Draco." Lucius smirked and opened his arms to his son. Draco rushed into them and the feeling of safety returned. Nothing would ever hurt him again. His father would protect him. His father wouldn't let anyone hurt him.

"Can I go back to sleep?"

"Yes, I was just about to do the same thing as well right now." Draco made to move to his four-poster but Lucius took his arm and led him away from there and in the direction of his own room. "From now on Draco, I want you to sleep in my wing of the Manor."

"How come?" Draco slid his hand into his father's and they continued their way on towards Lucius' quarters. Lucius gave no reaction to what Draco had done.

"I don't like you being all alone in this house without anyone nearby." Lucius opened the door to his rooms and Draco went inside while his father followed him.

"Father," Draco turned slightly so he could see Lucius. "There's…something I need…to tell you. It's important."

"Oh? And what is that?"

"Something…happened at school when I was still attending."

"And what would that be?"

"I think I've been poisoned."

"Honestly Draco, where do you come up with these things?" Lucius smiled darkly but inwardly he was actually somewhat worried. He knew how the Light had been corrupting the Dark in different ways and altering them in this way was the worst because when the person found out, it was usually too late…Just like…what had happened to…Severus…

"I mean it father, I haven't been feeling well."

"And that gives you the idea that you've been poisoned. Don't be ridiculous. You most likely just have a summer cold from staying in those wet clothes that you were wearing yesterday." Lucius gave a strained half smile.

"I'm not joking."

Lucius gave his son the feeling that he appeared uninterested. "Alright, if it makes you feel better, we'll go see that medi-wizard tomorrow or later today, considering it is tomorrow since it's about four thirty right now.

"I'm scared." Draco made eye contact with his father.

"You're worrying about nothing. There isn't anything wrong with you." Lucius said very faintly as he suddenly remembered what had happened to Severus and how the whole scenario had played out in the end. He met his son's eyes and saw that he really was terrified.

"Don't worry, everything will be alright. You'll see." Lucius said as Draco moved to embrace his father and the older Malfoy gripped the boy against him tightly almost as if he feared losing him.

111111111111111111

A.O.T.I.F.: Yeah…To those of you people who wanted him to get…punished, too bad. That isn't what's going on right now. This was very confusing but this chapter actually does connect the last two. Do you really think that Lucius is worried about his son? Yes or no? Oh, and that thing with Snape, (dramatic pause) it will be explained more thoroughly in Losing Touch when I get another couple chapters up.

Reviews are welcome.

I will try to update soon, but they want me to do all these projects so I'm a little preoccupied right now.

Blank: Please review. We don't need another scene from A.O.T.I.F.


	6. Remembering

Disclaimer: Now that would be interesting…me owning Harry Potter…that'll be the day.

Disclaim her: Another voice inside my head? The more the merrier.

Note: Again, there is a lot of out-of-character crud going on.

Out of character currently with: Draco, Lucius, Voldemort, and Harry.

"speech" 'thoughts' /Draco's thoughts/

If you reviewed, thank you.

Chapter 6: Remembering the lost remembering

111111111111111111

How nice it would be if all that you had previously believed was a dream, Draco thought to himself as he went downstairs after dressing in his robes. His father had gotten up before him, as usual, but he couldn't have gotten up much earlier because space that he had been laying in was still somewhat warm.

He felt a little better than he had yesterday and not as tired. Maybe he had just been imagining things like his father had said. How could he have gotten poisoned, the very thought was ridiculous. He had acted like an idiot telling his father that he had thought he had. He really was stupid. Poisoned. How idiotic.

Draco went down the stairs and found Lucius in the dining room having tea and reading the Daily Prophet. He sat down on his father's right and took a piece of toast from the stack that was sitting on the table.

"Good morning, father."

Lucius glanced up and tilted his head to the side acknowledging him.

"Father, about what I told you earlier…" Draco paused as he saw his father stiffen. "I was being stupid. You were probably right, I most likely have a cold from not getting out of the clothes I was wearing yesterday."

"Either way Draco, we're still going to see a medi-wizard later today just to make sure you're not going to develop anything more than a cold." Lucius was back reading the newspaper.

"Yes, father."

"Oh, you haven't seen the paper yet, have you?" Lucius looked up again with a malicious smile on his face.

"No, I haven't. Why? What happened?" Draco asked suspiciously.

"Take a look for yourself." Lucius' smile became even wider as he handed his son the newspaper.

"But-" Draco gasped as he saw what was on the front page. "_On June sixteenth, at the train station of King's Cross, London, Harry Potter was seen leaving the station with an unidentified man who witnesses claim "looked familiar." Other witnesses stated that it appeared that Mr. Potter had gone willingly with the man. This suggests that the young man was under the control of the Imperius Curse, which is also known as one of the Unforgivables. _

_Usually when Mr. Potter leaves the train he is put in the care of his aunt and uncle but after asking them where they thought the boy had gone, they claimed to have absolutely no knowledge of ever having met anyone named Harry Potter. After further questioning, they still said the same thing. This gives no leads to where the boy might have gone._

_Mr. Potter's whereabouts are currently unknown and he is presumed missing. If you have any information of where this boy might be or the man Mr. Potter was seen leaving with, send your information to -" _Draco looked up from where he had been reading to turn shocked eyes at his father who had a vicious smile plastered upon his features.

"You know who they're speaking of, don't you Draco?"

"Isn't it-"

"Yes, isn't the Light going to be positively furious?"

"But why didn't Potter know that they were going to find out about this…relationship he has with the Dark Lord?"

"Are you dense? He did this on purpose. It was done just to show that the Light truly is weak if they couldn't even prevent their savior from disappearing from right under their noses in the middle of a crowded _train station_ for goodness sakes."

"Won't they be searching for him now?"

"He returned to them today, just to show them that he's with the Dark side now. They abandoned the plan that I'm sure Harry told you of earlier. It's useless considering the fact that they're going to do a frontal assault now.

"…What?"

"I know you heard me. Oh and yes, that means that I will be going to participate in the slaughter of some of the Light. And, as a change of plans, you will be coming with us this time." Lucius looked at Draco who appeared utterly stunned.

"…Me?" Draco breathed out.

"Yes and right before your birthday. Isn't that just _lovely_?"

"Oh…my birthday…" Draco dug his nails into his palm under the table at the sudden unwanted reminder. "I'm…going to be…eighteen…" He felt like slamming his head onto the tabletop. How could he have forgotten?

"Yes, and that is a landmark day, for you will be able to do magic without the Ministry hounding over you anymore."

"Father…this year…I don't want to have any guests or a party or anything. Can we just not make this a big deal even if it is my eighteenth birthday?" The nails dug deeper, almost coming to the point where blood would be drawn.

"Hm? Whatever you want, I didn't want to have guests either." Lucius said turning back to his newspaper.

"Really?"

"Yes. The only reason we ever had those events was because _she_ wanted to."

" Are you serious?" He glanced at his father who smirked and Draco looked down hastily. Every time his father looked at him it made his insides do summersaults. "I would…like a cake though." Draco mumbled as he felt his face turn hot.

"That's fine. What kind?"

"Um…chocolate maybe?"

"I'll tell the house elves." Lucius turned a page in the paper and took a sip of tea. "Draco?" The older blond set down his teacup and brushed back a lock of hair while he continued to read.

"What…do you want for your birthday?"

Draco's head shot up, as he had just been about to start eating oatmeal. "Why are you asking?"

"I want to get something for you that you'll like."

"I already have everything I could need."

"Really?" Lucius was still looking at the paper but he had stopped reading.

"Yes." The younger Malfoy resumed eating his meal.

"Are you still dating that girl Pansey?"

Draco paused with his spoon halfway to his mouth at the abrupt change of subject. "No, because I never started dating her to begin with. _Mother_ wanted us to, but we never did. Besides, she smelled like fish." The blond looked at Lucius who gave him the impression that he was amused even though he didn't seem to be listening to him.

"Did she now?"

"Yes." The younger Malfoy had the feeling that his face looked exactly like a tomato at that particular moment.

"Did you ever like her?"

"No."

"Well, that's good, because I wasn't ever going to let you marry her anyways."

"Wha-? Why?"

"No one is ever going to take away what is rightfully mine." The spoon that Draco had been holding clattered as it hit the tabletop. The blond boy stared at Lucius who merely gave him a sideway glance. The younger Malfoy's gaze turned to the tabletop as he felt himself turn crimson again.

"You look like such a child when you blush." The blond thought he was going to die from embarrassment. "It reminds of when you were younger."

"…Why?"

"You were such a striking child then, just like you are now. Now, though, I think you've just gotten even more beautiful."

"Um…thank you?"

Lucius chuckled pleasantly. "Come here."

"All right." Draco pushed back his chair and went to his father's side. Lucius tugged him over the side of the chair and Draco was made to sit in his father's lap.

"Father-" It was a wonder he could get any redder.

"Just…don't say anything." Lucius draped his arms around his son's middle and leaned back in the chair, shutting his eyes halfway.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing is the matter."

The two Malfoy men sat in that manner for a point and there was no sound except breathing until there was a thunderous slam in what seemed to be the hallway. Draco immediately sat up and was about move when Lucius held him securely in place.

"He's angry."

"_Him_!"

"Yes. I only hope He didn't break the front doors as He came so close to doing last time."

"What happened last time! Wait, what _was_ last time?"

"He and Harry got into a fight during the school year." Lucius did not elaborate but held his son close to him.

"LUCIUS!" The yell was close to them and Lucius made no move to stir.

There were another few moments of silence until the Dark Lord in all his furious glory burst into the dining room panting. Draco curled into a protective ball in his father's lap, afraid of what the Dark Lord was going to do.

"Lucius!"

"Yes my Lord?"

"Why did you not answer me when I called you a moment ago?"

"When you yelled?"

"Yes!"

"I will not have this conversation with you again my Lord! You need to control your temper." The red-eyed man stood silenced and panting for a few moments when a soft sound, as if something was being pulled across the floor was heard out in the front hallway, which was odd because if you were to slide something across the floor, it shouldn't have been so loud. The sound should have only been heard in the room in which it was happening.

The sound continued and a Basilisk appeared in range a few minutes later. It had slight markings around the eyes and had scales of the darkest ebony. It's eyes were closed but it was almost as if it knew where it was going. It flicked out a forked tongue and tasted the air. No one in the room moved as it hissed faintly.

The Dark Lord hissed in reply after a second and the Basilisk seemed to hiss angrily back. It opened emerald eyes and made to strike out against the Dark Lord who stood in front of it, gazing up at the snake that could kill simply with its eyes. The Dark Lord looked as if he was unaffected by the magnificent creature's stare and reached out and brushed his spidery fingers against the crest of the beast. The creature hissed again and a moment later Harry Potter stood in Voldemort's arms gently being shushed as his hair was stroked. The Dark Lord picked up the boy and he Disapparated with the boy with a loud crack.

Lucius glanced down at his son who was wide eyed with astonishment and laughed melodiously. "It was only Harry, Draco. The Dark Lord must have left him after they fought and Harry was furious. I've only seen him in that form once before and it wasn't a decent sight to behold."

"How the-?"

"Don't worry about it, it doesn't matter." Lucius felt the shaking of the boy and realized he had actually been frightened. "You were really afraid, weren't you?"

"…Yes…" Draco whispered faintly.

"It's alright, I told you I wouldn't let anyone hurt you dear." The moment that last word slipped out, Lucius could have smacked himself senseless.

Draco's eyes widened in shock at what his father had just called him. Lucius had never spoken in that way to anyone Draco had ever seen in his entire life, especially not him!

"…Father?"

"Yes, Draco?"

"I don't mind if you call me that." Draco could not fight back a blush no matter how hard he tried so he buried his face in his father's chest. Lucius smiled to himself, something Draco could not see.

"Do you now?" Laughter was in the older Malfoy's voice.

"Um…yes…?" The blond's words came out almost incoherent.

"You're such an odd boy." Lucius' slender fingers ghosted across his son's cheek and the younger boy sighed in contentment. "You like it when I touch you?"

"Yes…" Draco felt his father's fingers slide down his neck to his collarbone and he tilted his head to the side to give his father better access.

"Why?" A hand tangled in the younger's hair.

"I don't know. I just like it when you touch me. It feels nice."

"That's a pleasant thing to hear. She always said I was too…cold."

"Why did she say that?"

"She wanted me to have sex with her after I had seen her minutes before with some other man, someplace else in my house. I suppose that would have been a bad reason not to, wouldn't it?" Lucius stiffened.

"Mother was so fake…but _sometimes_…she was the only one I could go to since you didn't like having me around."

"I never said that."

"But you never said you did either." Draco shut his eyes.

"You didn't ask me."

"Would you have answered me truthfully?"

"Probably not." Lucius slipped his hands around his son's waist again. "Do you think that I raised you properly?"

"That depends on what you consider raising, father."

"Such impudence, speaking to your father in such a way. Should I punish you like I said I would earlier?"

Draco froze. "Whatever you see adequate father." Obedience was a must at this point since his father changed moods so rapidly as of late.

"Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way. Stand up Draco." Draco felt his father's arms move away from his middle. He stood slowly and turned so he was facing Lucius. He should have known that this was going to come sooner or later. How could he have been so stupid?

Lucius seemed amused again and was openly smirking at his son who shrank back and hit the dining room table in his fear.

"You're afraid still?"

"Yes!"

"I told you that I was not to hurt you. Have you so little faith in your father?" Lucius moved closer to Draco and his smirk became even more pronounced. "This…punishment…I think you will find…different."

"What the heck are you going to do to me?"

"I'd like you to prove your love to me."

"Wha-?" Draco had to stop in mid-sentence as he found his father's lips upon his own, once again tasting him and mapping out his mouth as one would uncharted territory. Lucius broke their kiss and eyed Draco after a minute.

"Kiss me back, Draco."

"But-"

"You said you loved me. Prove it."

"I don't-"

"Do it."

Draco came very close to tears as he leaned in and brushed his lips against Lucius' and pulled away instantly.

"You call that a kiss?"

"What do you expect from me? I don't know what to do!"

"Dear gods, you're-" The realization struck him like a heavy blow to the stomach.

"Yes!" Draco burst into tears again, sobs consuming his frame like before, and he leaned against Lucius who slid a hand into his hair, vainly attempting to comfort him.

"Is this why you're so afraid?"

"…Yes. And…because…the one time…I came close to doing even _that_…they…hurt me…" His sobs renewed themselves, and Draco began to cry even harder than he had before.

"What are you talking about? Who hurt you!" Lucius voice rose dramatically causing the younger Malfoy to cringe and to try to pull away from his father's arms. But Lucius wouldn't have any of that. He gripped Draco's arms and looked directly into his eyes. "Who hurt you?" He said in a dangerously soft voice.

"I…it doesn't…"

"Tell me. I will not have anyone hurt you. You are _mine_."

"Am I just property now, or was I always just a thing for you to exert your authority over?" Draco said through his sobs as he lost all his resistance towards his father.

"Tell me or I'll-"

"You'll do what?" The younger blond said weakly as he didn't even support himself anymore so if Lucius had let go of him, the boy would have fallen to the ground. "Hurt me?"

"That's not what I said."

"That's exactly what you meant." Draco found it oddly hard to breathe and had to pause for a few moments. "You want to know who hurt me? Fine I'll tell you, but this doesn't mean anything! It was the Mudblood Hermione Granger and that weasel Ronald Weasley!"

"I'll kill them!" Lucius roared and let go of his son who fell to the ground with a soft thump. Lucius looked back at the sound and saw Draco on his side looking up at him as much as he was able to from his place on the floor. The younger Malfoy made no move to get up from his position on the ground as Lucius approached him.

"What are you doing Draco? Get up." Lucius frowned as the boy lay there in a pitiful heap and kicked him in the stomach causing a sharp intake of breath from his son but nothing other than that. "Get up."

"What's the point, when you're just going to hurt me again like you did right now? On second thought, why don't you just kick me again?" Draco said softly, his eyes glassy. "Though God knows you can do better."

Lucius' eyes narrowed so far that they turned to slits and he heaved his son to his feet. The boy would have fallen again, but Lucius firmly supported him up. "Do you really want me to hurt you?"

"There isn't any choice in how _I_ decide whatever _you_ do, so why are you even asking?"

"I'm being serious," said Lucius angrily and he shook Draco sharply.

"No, I don't like being hurt. But if that is your way of doing whatever it is _you do,_ I shouldn't care, should I?" Lucius said nothing and his face remained impassive. "I'm only telling you what I think. And I'm being truthful, so that should count for at least something. Then again, nothing _I_ do counts for anything. So we're back to square one, right?" Draco's voice was so faint so only Lucius would have been able to hear it, had anyone else been in the room.

"Don't twist my words around."

"Why not, you do the same to me?"

"Damn you boy, will you just shut up and _listen_?" yelled Lucius as he barely restrained his irritation with his son. "Just be quiet, I don't want to fight with you anymore." The older Malfoy voice had lowered to a whisper his frame shook very slightly as he gathered his son into his arms and buried his face in his hair.

"Father…" Draco began hesitantly as Lucius made no move to move away from him. "Father…don't do this…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to bother you so much. Don't be mad." Draco hesitantly put his arms around his father and laid his head against his father's shoulder.

"I'm not mad," came the mumbled response from somewhere in Draco's mane of blond of hair. "Just…frustrated, Draco."

"With me?"

"Yes, with you." The older blond said after a pause that had stretched on for a while.

"I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that, you're wearing out the use of that word."

"Can we please move out of the dining hall?" He asked softly, as to not raise his father's temper again

"Yes…Where to?" Lucius sounded so old and weary in that moment that Draco grasped his father tightly, almost pulling the breath out of his lungs in the process. "Ah…Draco…I can't breathe…let go…" The younger released his father immediately and cast his gaze downwards.

"Draco, I'm _tired_. I've been tired…ever since she died…and I haven't been able to sleep…but one night sleeping with you made me sleep better than I have in a long time even though I really need to sleep how I did yesterday every day.

"Then go to bed father." Draco whispered after a second.

"I don't really feel like it."

"What do you want me to say then?"

"Nothing…nothing at all…just stay quiet so I don't have to recognize anything for what it is…" Lucius pulled his son to him and placed a chaste kiss upon his forehead.

"You don't need to kill them…Harry already did…he didn't want them to hurt anyone else…" said Draco very quietly, but Lucius did not stir.

"Let me thank him later then." A hand tangled itself into Draco's hair.

"Right…"

"Do you want to go and see the medi wizard now?"

"Later…it's still too early in the morning."

"Alright, we'll go later then…" With a sigh Lucius sat back into the chair that he had been sitting in earlier and settled the younger Malfoy into his lap. "Do you want…to know why I didn't come to your graduation yesterday?"

Draco opened his eyes suddenly and attempted to turn around to look at his father but couldn't, since Lucius' face was enveloped in shadow.

"Why then?" Draco said halfheartedly, as he was prepared for the answer.

"I was…afraid to see you graduate because that would mean that you had grown up and would soon go off and get married and then later leave me…" All this was said barely above a murmur and Draco was shocked as he was completely unprepared for this answer.

"Father, I would never leave you…" said Draco, astonished that his father was saying this. Was he being serious?

"How am I supposed to know that when you never tell me anything unless I use brute force?"

"If you had just asked then maybe I would have answered truthfully."

"I have raised you wrong."

"You raised me how you saw fit. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I'm…sorry."

"Father!"

"I'm serious…I have mistreated you so much…"

"It's okay, it doesn't matter anymore."

"How I wish it didn't…"

"It's okay, I don't care what you did. It's alright."

"Draco," Lucius knew it was going to be hard to make out the words but he hadn't imagined it would be this hard. "Don't ever leave me…I don't think I would like that much. I don't…want to be alone anymore…so please…stay here…with…me." His voice broke off.

"As you wish father." Draco said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Always as I wish." Lucius' eyes glittered slightly as he buried his face in his son's hair once again.

111111111111111111

A.O.T.I.F.: (cough) That went…well, yes?

1. I know there were people wanting him to get beat up by Lucius but…too bad.

2. I'm not going to even try to explain Lucius' behavior so I'll stick with something simple. It's really just because Narcissa is gone and he's realized Draco's the only one left. I know he's kind of breaking down now, right?

Please review. I like the fact people actually enjoy this story. (smile)


	7. Cacophony

Disclaimer: I might just as well have fishing rights.

Disclaim her: It would be nice if some people learned about a little thing called the shower.

Note: People are starting to get really out of character, yes?

Out of character currently with: Draco, Lucius, etcetera.

"speech" _thoughts_ and/or _Draco's thoughts_

Minor note: I guess you can say this chapter gets a little…dramatic. (nervous chuckle)

Thanks to the people who decided to review.

Chapter 7: Cacophony

111111111111111111

Lucius pulled on his son's wrist and Draco slid his fingers into his father's hand as they walked down the hallway together toward Lucius' office. Draco felt almost calm now…there was not anything to bother him…

Draco swayed dangerously and Lucius saw him a split second before he was to make contact with the floor. Lucius' arms shot out and he caught his son right as he was about to make contact with the ground.

"Draco, what are you doing? Are you alright?" Lucius said sharply but saw that Draco's eyes had closed. The boy had fallen unconscious.

222222222222222222

It was as if voices were calling to him through a very long hallway because they seemed oh so very far away from him…He could see the light but it was growing fainter by the second. It made Draco to want to scream, to do something, anything.

_I'm here, I'm here_, he called out but found his lips moving and no sound coming forth.

This darkness was literally suffocating him as it had once tried to do before and he couldn't do anything about it.

"Draco…"

His father, his father was calling him!

_Father, I'm here! Don't leave me, I'm here!_ Draco screamed in his mind but to no avail. No one could hear his cries.

000000000000000000

"Lucius, I don't know what to do. He seems to be in a coma of some sort."

"Do what ever you can! This is my _son_."

"I'll try Lucius, I swear I'll _try_, but I can't give you any kind of guarantee."

"Potter, just help him, damn it!"

"I'm trying Lucius, please be patient."

"About what I told you earlier, tell me you actually took that into account and checked."

"I did and I'm now waiting for the results to finish developing. Please Lucius, calm down. I'll try to do whatever I can."

"For God's sake, try harder!"

222222222222222222

His whole body was numb. It felt as if he had been out in the cold for far too long and now as a result, he had lost all use of his bodily functions. There was a mere glimmer of light at the moment and even it gave off no kind of helpful, saving power to help him through this madness that possibly was the reeling pathway toward death. He had waited far too long. He had been such an idiot for not saying anything. It was no wonder that his father held such dislike toward him. Draco felt like a fool and he knew deep down he truly was. A complete and utter imbecile.

000000000000000000

Lucius walked over to his unconscious son's bedside and sat down, his gaze not wavering from where it had been locked on the figure in the bed from the moment he had stepped into the room. The boy appeared paler than he usually was and it almost seemed that the younger Malfoy's lips had a slight tinge of blue to them but Lucius blamed it on the lighting.

"You know, Draco…this is one of those times that I was upset… that was to come. You're possibly dying…and all I can think of is..." Lucius bit his lip and dropped his gaze as Draco didn't stir. "I…don't know what the hell I'm doing here…Maybe it's because I feel guilty for…but…I don't…know…I'm going to leave now, alright…? You can't hear me…can you…? I…I'll leave now. Better for you to be in… p-peace."

Lucius slowly got up from his place at his son's bedside and walked out of the room, attempting to breathe calmly and thoroughly as he shut the door behind him with an inaudible click.

222222222222222222

He had been floating for a while in what seemed to be some sort of a void and he didn't mind much as his mind seemed to have wandered off to who knew where. The void was a somewhat empty place so no one could tell what went on in there since it was so dark but Draco still couldn't seem to care that the darkness was slowly pulling him down into a never ending chasm of blackness. In fact, he didn't even notice what was happening to begin with.

000000000000000000

The older Malfoy watched as his son flew through the air on his broomstick completing expert moves that not many people could accomplish. Lucius continued to watch his son and Draco, almost as if he could sense his father's gaze, glanced down as he whooshed past the older man and waved happily to his father. Lucius broke into a brilliant, genuine smile, something that he hadn't done in years, and waved back up to his son--

"Lucius!"

The man in question turned sharply back to the person who had spoken. "Yes?"

"Lucius, you haven't been listening to one word I've been saying, have you?"

"I have indeed, Prime Minister." Lucius said as he rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I have been listening to you rant for the last half hour about how Harry Potter needs to be exterminated." The older Malfoy remarked with a sneer.

"I have said nothing of the sort! Though…now that you mention it, something needs to be done about that Potter boy. Come there are more matters for us to discuss…" The Prime Minister walked off with a clear indication that Lucius should follow him. The blond haired man blinked and walked off in the opposite direction that Fudge had. This was not the time to deal with such absurd matters. He blinked again.

"Come on, father! You said you would come help me with my Potions homework!"

Lucius' features softened as his son tugged on his hand. "Alright, Draco, I'm coming." He smiled with clear satisfaction as Draco pouted when he made no move to follow him.

"Come _on_, father." Draco began impatiently.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." Lucius murmured as he slipped off his cloak and hung it up. His gaze fell upon the family portrait as he looked at the wall. Only Draco and he stood within its frame. This caused him to frown. Hadn't there been someone else in its boundaries? He shook his head, dismissing the odd thought.

"Father!"

"Yes, I said I was coming. You need to have more patience, my son." Lucius said in amusement as his son crossed his arms and sat down on the ground with a "hmph!"

"I would if you would stop wasting all this time. Please, come with--"

Lucius hissed as he hit the wall in front of him. How the hell had that gotten in his path? He let out a muttered curse as he rubbed his forehead where he had hit the wall. Lucius couldn't fathom how that could have been in his way and he hadn't seen it. He wasn't blind.

Lucius glanced around himself to examine his surroundings and found that he was in the Dark Lord's Manor. Then all at once he remembered how he had come to be here in the first place. The Dark Lord had summoned him here for new orders and for another mission.

He gave out another muttered curse as his head began to pound in a headache. Lucius cursed again. Now of all times to have a headache?

000000000000000000

"Lucius, I have new orders for you." The Dark Lord began as He sat atop His dais. His partner was not present.

Lucius bowed down as was required and cursed in his mind. His headache began to beat with the force of his heartbeat.

"Rise."

"Yes, my Lord."

"As I said, I have a new assignment for you."

"As you wish, my Lord," Lucius replied as the silence in the throne room became deafening and Lucius swore he could hear soft laughter in his ears. He turned and saw that there wasn't anyone in the room except him and Voldemort.

"Is there something amiss, Lucius?"

"No, it is nothing, my Lord."

"Good, for I have orders for you, like I said…"

000000000000000000

As Lucius opened the door to his son's bedroom he gave himself an acute sense of déjà vu. This scene seemed so familiar for some reason.

Draco did not appear to have changed positions from where he had left him earlier; his chest still rose and fell with every labored breath he took. Again, as Lucius happened to glance at his son's features, he thought that he looked rather…pale.

With soft sigh he sat in the same spot that he had earlier and brushed a few stray hairs from his son's face, fingers lingering on the side of his face. Draco murmured something softly that Lucius was unable to catch, but sounded suspiciously like 'father'.

"I'm…back Draco. It…probably…makes no difference to you…does it? I know…that I should have stayed with you…all day…but somehow…I couldn't because…" Lucius dropped his gaze sharply. "…I'm such…an awful…" Lucius broke off suddenly as he heard footsteps approaching in the hallway. He stood and smoothed down his robes to make himself presentable as Harry Potter entered the room.

"Oh…Lucius…I didn't know that you were going to be here."

"Is that a problem? You're on _my_ property, after all." remarked Lucius, as he somehow made no eye contact with the younger man. Harry caught this right away but said nothing of it.

"No, it's okay. I was going to try to find you later anyway." It was Harry who this time dropped his gaze to the ground. "Lucius?" How do you tell a man that his son is--

"Yes?" The older Malfoy had been utterly transfixed on watching his son breathe.

"I'm really sorry about this…but…"

Lucius removed his gaze from his son immediately and snapped his gaze to those of Harry Potter who was currently wishing that the ground would just swallow him up. "What is it?"

"Lucius, I've checked all that I could think of and of that other thing you wanted me to check that I thought wouldn't have any relevance because I didn't think what you told me would be possible with all the precaution that we've had to have after…Severus." Here Harry paused as he rapidly fought to find the words to put what he was going to say in a sentence.

Lucius had turned away. "…Go on."

"Lucius…I don't know how this could have happened. He's been…poisoned…just like you told me to check for and now…he's…dying…he's dying, Lucius." Those final words caused an awful silence where the only sound in the room was Draco's breathing. It was that sound that caused Lucius' whole world to come crashing down in front of his eyes… _Passing… but… no… Draco isn't going to…he was going to stay with me …wasn't he…? Harry would never lie to me, so that means…_

"I'm really sorry about this Lucius--" Harry began in a frightened voice but the older man cut him off immediately.

"I would like you to leave, now." interrupted Lucius curtly. He could in no way remember his emotions being in this much turmoil.

"Lucius, I still need to talk to you later, all right?"

"You've told me all that was worth hearing." There was an extremely unpleasant pause. "Now, I advise you to leave this room before I become violent and am forced to hurt you."

"But Lucius--"

"OUT! **NOW!**" Lucius roared as he turned to face Harry with eyes blazing with an icy fire. Harry's eyes widened and he backed away.

"O-okay! S-sorry about…I-I'll talk to you later about this." Harry finished quickly as he turned his eyes to the carpet. He walked to the door and hastily shut it behind him. Lucius stared at the closed the door so hard it was as if his gaze would burn a hole right through it. After what seemed to be an eternity, he went back over to his son and sat down by his side yet again. It was an hour later when he finally gathered up himself to speak.

"Did you hear him Draco? He said…he said…" Lucius bit the inside of his cheek so hard he almost drew blood. "…But it doesn't matter…I'll be with you…as long…as long…as you're…" Lucius averted his eyes wishing he could look somewhere else or be someone else, or even be somewhere else. This couldn't be happening. Draco wasn't going to…

"I'm…you know what…I mean to say…right…?" There was another pause where Draco stirred and happened to turn on his side, facing away from his father. "Are you…awake? No…I suppose you aren't…I'll stay…if you'd like that but you wouldn't be able to say anything about what you would like as you're not awake at the moment." As Lucius stood he slipped off his shoes and laid down beside Draco in his bed. He glanced at Draco and then back at the ceiling where there wasn't anything to cause him trouble. "Is this really…wrong as you said? Or is it just wrong when you believe something to be wrong? Then again…is it wrong because we think too much about things that they become wrong in our minds?" Lucius hadn't thought he was to receive a response.

222222222222222222

He was choking on the darkness and every breath that he could take was filled with the darkness that flowed through his body contaminating every pore, every vein that happened to be clean at the time. His right side felt oddly warm and he couldn't understand why he would be thinking about something like that when he was being close to asphyxiated.

He could hear someone speaking vaguely in his mind asking him why things were considered wrong in the first place and that same voice overlapping itself as hundreds of questions such as that were making themselves known. The voice itself was familiar, something that he heard before but couldn't quite recall where. The more he thought about it, the more he couldn't seem to remember where he had heard it. But then-

"Is it wrong to care for you in ways that a father shouldn't care for his son?"

_I don't know who that is even though I feel that I should._

"Even though you feel that I don't care for you, I do."

_Only one person ever made me feel worthless to have to say that… but…I can't remember…_

"I wish you would wake up."

_Wake up…? I'm…asleep…?_

"I don't want you… to…"

_Who is that speaking? I swear I know who that is…but I still can't remember…_

"I'm sorry… for being such a bad father to you Draco."

_Father?…wait…father! Where is he? How can I hear him and still be her? Where is he! _

Draco choked again as he tried to breathe and not inhale darkness that he finally realized happened to dull his wits down so he was unable to remember certain things about himself and other people. He began to struggle against the shadows that held him in what seemed to be chains and the struggle to be free of the darkness ended up being a fight for his very life.

Draco fought again to be released and felt himself thrown out abruptly into something he hadn't ever fathomed.

000000000000000000

Draco's eyes snapped open and found that he was currently lip locked with his father. He moved his lips in response to the older man and saw Lucius' eyes immediately open and the man pull away completely.

"Draco?" Lucius appeared frightened of the fact that Draco had woken up so suddenly.

"Yes, father?" As Draco responded Lucius noticed his eyes were a dull gray.

"Are you okay? When you passed out…I was…then Harry told me that…you were…"

"What are you mumbling about father? Did I do something wrong again?"

"No…nothing is wrong." The older blond said as he laid back down against the blankets of the bed.

"I didn't…disappoint you as I did before?"

"No. I told you, you didn't do anything wrong." Reassured Lucius calmly.

"Okay." The younger Malfoy tilted his head back toward his father. "Father?"

"Hm?" Lucius had shut his eyes as he fought to arrange his thoughts.

"Will you kiss me again?"

"What?" Lucius said surprised as he shifted his position on the bed to face his son who had turned a pleasant shade of pink.

"Kiss me, please."

"Why? Why do you want this now? Before you said that this was wrong." And why was he objecting to it for Merlin's sake?

"I like the feel of your lips on mine. It makes me feel better." Draco reddened further.

"Draco…there's something you need to know…"

"If it is bad, then I really don't care. But I probably already know what you're going to tell me anyways. I knew I was right, but you thought I was just being stupid as usual, didn't you?"

"No, that isn't true."

"You can deny it if it makes you feel better, but I'll still love you regardless."

"Are we talking about the same thing?"

"I wouldn't know." Lucius remarked as he sat up and pressed his lips to his son's once again with a fervor that he couldn't hide with all the thoughts tumbling around in his head. Draco moved his lips in response and kissed his father back as well as he could with him being inexperienced.

As usual, it was Lucius who took control of the situation as he moved again so he was now straddling his son's waist as he continued to remain lip locked with Draco. They continued to move slowly until Draco broke away for breath. He tilted his head back slightly as he gazed up at the ceiling for a second and felt Lucius kiss the side of his jaw and then retreat further down as he pressed his lips to the base of Draco's throat. Draco could feel his father pause and then do something that the boy hadn't seen coming but should have foreseen after all the time he had known Lucius.

Draco winced sharply as his father bit down on the flesh that was at the base of his throat and was glad that he hadn't cried out.

"That didn't hurt?" Lucius remarked softly.

"It did, but not as much as I thought it would."

"I thought you would have at least given me a whimper."

"I'm not that weak father." Draco said in disgust.

"I know…I know that you believe that I think that you're weak but you're not. Not to me for that matter."

_Is he just saying what I want to hear?_ Draco thought to himself idly while drawing a hand into his father's hair and intertwining it in the platinum blond locks before he caught what he was doing. But Lucius didn't say anything and Draco could see an uncharacteristic small but gentle smile on his features.

"No Draco, I don't mind." Responded Lucius to the boy's unasked question.

"Father…I…"

"It's okay…I mean it." Lucius still hadn't opened his eyes and would have been glad that he hadn't. Draco looked just about ready to cry again and was attempting to resist the urge. When he finally had gotten himself in check Lucius was looking at him in a way that he couldn't remember him ever doing before.

"…Draco?"

"Yes?" Why did his father's voice sound so miserable? Draco made to sit up but was enfolded into his father's arms instead.

"I wanted to tell you about…what happened when Harry came here after you fell unconscious." _Keep yourself in check, Lucius; you are **not** going to turn into a blubbering mess, for Merlin's sake!_

Draco tried to shift his position in his father's arms but they held him in a steel like grip that would not cease.

"Father?" Draco knew something was awfully wrong at the moment but didn't have quite enough courage to say anything about it in fear of punishment.

"Draco, I would like you to stay quiet, this is hard enough for me as it is and I don't even know…how to tell you…" Lucius felt a burning at his eyes and pushed it back viciously. _I _**will not**_ make a scene even _if_ it is difficult to say! _"…How to tell you that you were right…about what you told me earlier…"

Draco said nothing but his eyes widened. Did that mean-

"You were right…about being…poisoned and there isn't…anything…that can be done…about this so…you're…going to…" Lucius unexpectedly felt himself left entirely without the ability to breathe and didn't even notice that he had stopped in the first place. Draco could feel his father shaking violently and twisted around easily as his father's death grip loosened dramatically. As he faced Lucius he was horrified to see him obtaining a pale bluish tinge to his features while his eyes stared directly ahead into nothing. _…No, he was going to never leave me…Harry was lying…_

"Father, what are you doing!" Draco screamed but the man made no reaction. "Father, BREATHE, you're going to die from the lack of air of you don't!" Draco screamed again and felt panic rise in waves that washed over him again and again. Lucius still hadn't moved and Draco shook him roughly to try to get him to snap out of the trance he appeared to be in. Draco began to shriek and a number of house elves appeared with a pop as they suspected trouble. Draco was wild eyed at this point in time and told them to send for Voldemort and Harry Potter immediately and that it was an emergency. They all disappeared with another pop.

Draco turned back to his father and laid him down to try to resuscitate him. He had never thought that the revival techniques that they learned early on in the Quidditch/ First Aid class would have been any use but he was grateful at the moment. Draco tilted his father's head back pinched his fingers over the man's nose as he breathed into the man slowly and thoroughly and watched his chest rise and fall. He drew back. Lucius still remained as he was but his gray eyes had closed at some point during where Draco had breathed into him. His fear worsened and he tried once again on the resuscitation technique.

000000000000000000

Harry had been taking a slight nap when he felt something urgently tugging on the sleeve of his robe. He opened weary eyes and saw that it was a house elf bearing the Malfoy family crest and immediately woke up fully. As he sat up the house elf began to speak very quickly.

"Master Draco is requesting Mr. Potter to be coming to Master's house immediately. Master Draco says it is being an emergency and that he should also be bringing He-Who-Must-Not-Named with him. Quickly, Master Draco said, you must be coming now! Master Draco is being in his bedroom and is waiting for you--"

"I'm going right now." Harry said as he Disapparated with a sharp crack. _You caught that I hope, Tom._

_Yes, I'm on my way as well. What do you think is wrong? _

_I couldn't know except for Draco being as he is--_

_What happened?_

_I'll tell you later love._

_As you wish. _

Both men appeared in Draco's bedroom simultaneously and caught view of Draco giving his father mouth to mouth resuscitation urgently.

Both rushed over to him and the unconscious man when Draco happened to catch sight of them.

"Harry, thank God, help my father! Please, I don't know what the hell happened. He was talking to me and then suddenly started shaking and when I turned to look at him he was turning blue!" Draco nearly shrieked as he glanced at his unconscious father and quickly looked back at Harry. The Dark Lord was already examining the older Malfoy and muttering various spells that gave one the impression that they were illegal.

"Draco, calm down, we'll help your father."

"I really don't know what happened! He was trying to tell me something that he said was hard for him to say and I didn't understand why he'd say that." Draco was flushed and looked as panicked a serial killer does when he's killed his first victim of the next twenty-five.

Comprehension appeared in Harry's eyes. "Did he sound scared to say something to you?"

"No, just like he was worried, but father doesn't worry about anyone." Replied Draco as he frowned. He glanced back at his father who looked as if he was regaining some color and then back at Harry. "What, do you know something?" He asked shortly, voice hard.

"I think I know what your father was trying to tell you." Harry muttered uncomfortably as he averted his eyes.

"What does that have to do with anything!"

Harry felt nausea stir in the pit of his stomach. "It has to do with…everything. When I came here earlier today to talk to Lucius about your condition it was about something that he had had me check on impulse because he was worried about you. The thing he had me check was whether or not you had been poisoned." Harry swallowed nervously. He hated telling people bad things. It was just like how he was going to hate talking to Tom later about something that he knew he wouldn't like at all.

_What won't I like? What is it Harry? Have you been keeping something from me?_

_I…I promise I'll tell you when we get home later. It isn't important. _But from the way the Dark Lord could feel fear swirling around in Harry's thoughts and emotions he knew that it was just the opposite.

Harry returned his gaze to Draco who was looking at him impassively so he didn't know how Draco could possibly be feeling at the moment.

"And, what did you find out?" Draco said softly as he averted his eyes to the Dark Lord who was still working on his father. The man had appeared to regain some of his pallor but still wasn't breathing.

"You…have been…poisoned. There's nothing that I…or anyone else…can do about it since we still…haven't found…a cure for this disease… so…Draco…you're going…to die.

111111111111111111

A.O.T.I.F.: I'm sorry it took awhile to post. Stupid poetry…

I guess you can that a cliffhanger if it makes you want to know what is going to happen next…(frown)

Anyways, this chapter was a little odd as I usually don't write that many scene changes in one chapter. I know Lucius is really out of character but I'm not going to apologize to those people who don't like him that way. (I'd do a supposedly 'evil' laugh but my throat hurts right now.)

I bet half of you knew this was coming. Poor little Draco's going to kick the bucket. Such a pity.

I will attempt to update soon as I read this 248 page book in a couple hours.

Please review if you have any decency in yourself.

Dramatic irony


End file.
